Simulated aircraft fire system



Oct. 24, 1961 G. A. DECKER 3,005,267

SIMULATED AIRCRAFT FIRE SYSTEM Original Filed Oct. 3, 1956 MOTOR SPEED CONTROL SOLENOID PLUNG FAN MOTOR GEORGE A- DECKER INVENTOR BY i AT ORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1961 SIMULATED AIRCRAFT FEE SYSTEM George A. Decker, Binghamton, N.Y., assignor to Gem eral'Precision, Inc, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 613,749, Oct. 3, 1956. This application Feb. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 793,217

, 13 Claims. ((31.35-12) This invention relates to improved apparatus for use in grounded aircraft trainers and more particularly to the simulation of aircraft fires and the training ofpilots in fire-fighting technique.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 613,749, filed October 3, 1956, now abandoned.

Realistic presentation of fiight conditions consistent with complete safety to the student is readily recognized as very valuable in the training of pilots. To approach closely to realism in the representation of a matter as perilous as an aircraft fire without dangertothe student is, of course, particularly difiicult. Very often the first indication the pilot receives of an actual fire on board, other thana fire in the engine compartment, is from smoke and fumes seeping into the cockpit. In accordance with the invention, artificial smoke of a harmless nature and devoidof noxious fumes is introduced into the cockpit of the grounded trainer by action of the instructorwithout Warning to the student. The smoke enters the cockpit from an opening behind the pilots seat. Preferably a dense white smoke effect is employed. The student must then immediately carry out specified firefighting measures by means. of controls at his disposal located on the instrument board of the trainer.' As soon as these emergency measures have been taken the student will proceed to dump cabin pressure, that is, he will change hisdummy cabin pressure switch from the cabin pressure position to'the, ram air position. This operation is for the purpose of forcing air from outside through the cockpit to clear out most of the smoke. In the simulator, this operation or any operation which has been established as the final step of the fire-fighting procedure, serves to shut down the production of the artificial smoke. In the trainer, when the student has thrown the cabin pressure switch the conventional cockpit air conditioning system commonly provided in grounded trainers will clear the cockpit of the simulated smoke. Interlocking control circuits are provided so that the smoke generator can not be shut oif by action of the student until he has first carried out each step of the normal fire fighting procedure.

Operation of the instructors Aircraft Fire switch energizes an electrical heater unit and starts'a timing device. After a few seconds of pre-heating the timer energizes a solenoid valve, permitting compressed air to flow to a small spray gun that is filled witha suitable fluid for sir'nulatingfsmoke. A suitable liquid for the purpose is one knownin the trade as .Life-Like, used on model railroads. I have found that parafiin base liquids are particularly suitable. It is essential, of course, that nontoxic fumesbe created. It is also desirable that the simulated smoke not cling to interior portions of the cockpit, and for this. reason, one should insure that ample heat is provided to burn all of the atomized liquid as thoroughly as possible. If considerable heat is applied to the atomized liquid, the sudden'warming'oftheair in the trainer :cockpit simultaneously with the entry of smoke will serve further to increase the realism of the simulatedfiret i The liquid is atomized by the spray gun and blown across the heater unit, producing the desireddense white smoke. When the student pilot switches to ram air,

simulated cabin pressure indication becomes dependent upon airspeed and aircraft altitude. This dependence is simulated and the reading of the cabin pressure indicator presented to the pilot is changed accordingly.

An object of the invention is the safe training of pilots in. fire-fighting procedure under simulated flight conditions.

Another object is to increase the realism of the simulation of aircraft fire. 1

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

The single figure of the drawing is a schematic diagram of a system embodying the invention together with a perspective view of a portion of the cockpit showing the relationship of the student to the instruments, the controls and the smoke-simulating apparatus. j

In the single figure of the drawing, there is shown a student 1 in the seat 2 of a simulated aircraft cockpit 3, before an instrument panel 4 and a windshield 5. Back of the seatZ is mounted a spray gun 6 with a nozzle L7, the spray gun containing a supply of a suitable fluid for simulating smoke, such as the liquid known in the trade as Life-Like, used on model railroads. Pressure means for operating the spray gun is provided in the form of a cylinder 8 of compressed airor other suitable gas, connected through a valve device 9 to the spray gun 6 and nozzle 7. The valve device 9 is provided with suitable operating means, such as a solenoid plunger 10and energizing winding 11 therefor. The nozzle 7 is arranged in proximity to an electrical heater 12 containing a heating winding 13L The valve device 9 and heater 12 are provided with control means comprising an instructors Aircraft Fire switch 14 through which current from a suitable source, shown as a battery 15 maybe supplied to theheating Wiuding13 and to a relay winding 16 for operating normally open contacts 17 and 18 through which a circuit may be completed through solenoidal winding 11. 'Pre-heating of the heater 12 before opening of the valve device 9 is provided by inserting a timing device 16 before the relay 16' or by making the relay 16' sufiiciently slow acting.

Within reach of the student in the cockpit there are provided a plurality of manually operable devices to be operated by the student when smoke enters the cockpit simulating an aircraft fire. The student is instructed to follow certain prescribed fire-fighting procedures which require that certain of the manually operable devices be operated in a prescribed order. When the last of the devices has been operated in the proper order, thesrnokegenerating means is automatically shut down. In the drawing, three manually operable switches 19, 2t) and 21 are shown which are normally open and which I the student is required to cause to be closed by operat ing the requisite manual controls in numerical order in accordance with the fire fighting procedure. The switches are coupled to the cockpit controls as indicated schematically by broken lines 41, 42 and 43 respectively, in

any desired manner. Closure of switch 19 completes an operating circuit from ground through a battery 22, a re lay winding 23, and switch 19 to ground. Relay winding 23 is operatively associated with two normally open contact pairs 24, 25 and 26, 27. Closure of contact pair 24, 25 through operation of relay 23 serves to extend the circuit of battery 22 over a lead 28 to one end of a relay winding 29 which winding is connected at its other end to the switch 20. Closure of contact pair 26, 27 begins the preparation ofa serial circuit from ground, for the ultimate purpose of shutting down the smoke generator.

Closure of switch 20 operates relay 29, closing normally open contact pairs 30, 31 and 32, 33. Operation of relay 29 extends the battery circuit through contacts 31, 30 and. a lead 34 to one end of a relay winding 35 which winding is in turn connected to the switch 21. Closure of contact pair 32, 33 extends the above-mentioned serialcircuit from ground.

Closure .of switch.21 operates relay 35, closing normally open contact pair 36, 37, thereby completing the serial circuit from ground through the now closed contacts 26, 27, 32, 33, 36, and 37, and through a relay winding 38 and a battery 50 to ground, and operating the relay 38. Operation of relay 38 opens a normally closed contact pair 39, 40 in serial relationship with the instructors switch 14, thereby interrupting the operating circuits. of both the heating winding 13 and the relay 16 and shutting downthe smoke generator. Thus relay 38 and its contacts 39--40 may be viewed in one sense as a means for stopping the smoke generator, and relays 23, 29, and 35 and their respective contacts 26-27, 32- 33,. and 36- -37 may be viewed in one sense as a means controlling the stopping means. Grounded flight trainers commonly are provided with air conditioning systems to remove the heat generated by electrical apparatus, and to allow students to wear flying suits and similar paraphernalia while flying the trainer, which may be located in a warm room. Such an air conditioning unit commonly is provided with a fan to change the air in the cockpit. If desired, a further switch contact 45 may be provided for interrupting the circuit to the air conditioning fan when the instructors Aircraft Fire control switch is operated. Stopping the fan when smoke is blown into the cockpit serves to insure thatthe smoke will pervade thoroughly within the cockpit andrwill not merely travel in a directed stream to be expelled from the cockpit by the fan. The additional switch mentioned may be shunted by a further contact 46 operated by relay 38, thereby resuming operation of the fan when correct, fire-fighting procedure has been conducted. Alternatively, the low circuit interrupting switchv may be shunted by a further contact on the students dummy'cabin pressure switch to restore power to the air conditioning unit fan upon. positioning of such switch to the. ram air position. If desired, the further contact on the students dummy cabin pressure switch may beconnected to operate the fan at a greater thannormal velocity while positioned to ram air position.

The operation ofthe system illustrated will be evi dent from the foregoing description of the apparatus emplayed. The instructor may at any time without any warning to the student, close the Aircraft Fire switch 14, whereupon the spray gun 6 is actuated to blow atomiZed. smoke-simulating material over the also actuated heater. -12 into-the cockpit from, behind the student. The entrance of the smoke gives the student a very realistic sense of the occurrence of an aircraft fire and the immediate necessity of carrying out the prescribed fire-fighting procedure. He thereupon opens the simulated ignition switch, and in general performs in the proper order all the various manual operations required by the firefighting procedure. In so doing, the student operates all the necessary controls required to insure the closure of the switches 19, 20, and 21 in numerical order whereupon the smoke generator is shut down. There may of course be any desired number of switches employed instead of only three as illustrated and it will be understood that the necessary number of additional relays may be added to the relay train 23, 29, 35, in an obvious extension of the control circuit shown. Generally the last step in the fire-fighting procedure Will be to change the cabin pressure switch from the cabin pressure position to the ram air position, which action in actual flight results in the forcing of air from outside through the cockpit to clear out the smoke. Cabin pressure then becomes dependent upon airspeed and aircraft altitude. Although the above disclosure has indicated a means for utilizing the fan motor of a conventional air conditioner used in grounded trainers for the additional function of providing ram air, a second fan motor may be used for that purpose. Alternatively, the fan motor maybe of a type with two speeds of operation with the faster being used to provide ram air. In real aircraft the pressure of ram air is dependent upon airspeed and aircraft altitude. This dependence may be simulated in the trainer in well known manner by appropriate interconnections in the computing section of the trainer, so that the reading of the simulated cabin pressure indicator presented to the pilot is controlled by the computed airspeed and aircraft altitude. Also, the speed of the fan motor when operating to provide ram air may be modified in accordance with these quantities.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efliciently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from thescope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that, the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Smoke generator. for grounded aircraft trainer apparatus to simulate aircraft fire employing a suitable liquid substance, comprising a time delay device, electrical heating means, an instructors switch for energizing the said heating means and starting the time delay device, atomizing means actuated by the time delay device upon expiration of a delay period to atomize said liquid, and means to direct the atomized material past the said heat-. ing means to the trainees location in the form of smoke.

2. Grounded aircraft trainer apparatus for fire fighting training, comprising a starting switch controlled byv the instructor, a smoke generator actuated upon closing of the starting switch for introducing simulated smoke into the trainees cockpit, means controlled by said starting switch for altering the flow of air through the trainees cockpit, a plurality of, controls to be operated by the trainee. in accordance with an established fire-fighting pro cedure, stopping means for said smoke generator; and control means responsive to the correct operation of said plurality of controls for actuating said stopping means.

3. In grounded aircraft trainer apparatus, artificial smoke producing. means, separate starting and stopping meanstherefor, means for providing a flow of ir past a trainees station, relay means for actuating, said stopping means, a plurality of contacts serially related one to, another and to said relay means, means for closing said serial contacts in. predetermined order, whereby said, relay means is operated to stop said smoke. producing means upon completion of the. circuit through said serial contacts, said means, for providing a flow of air being operated in synchronism with said; starting and stopping means 4. In grounded aircraft trainer apparatus, means for establishing a normal flow of air past a trainees station, a smoke generator employing a suitable liquid substance for simulating aircraft fire, a timing device, electrical heating means, an instructors switch for energizing the heating means and. starting the timing device, meansincluding a supply of air under pressure. actuated by the device to atomize said liquid and direct the atomized material over the heating means to the trainees position in the form of smoke, a plurality of controls to be operated by the trainee in carrying out a prescribed fire-fighting procedure, stopping means for said smoke generator, and a train of relays responsive to the operation of said controls for actuating said stopping means, said stopping means being operative to re-establish said normal flow of air past said trainees station.

5. Grounded aircraft trainer apparatus for fire-fighting training comprising a starting switch controlled by the instructor, a smoke generator actuated on closing the starting switch for introducing simulated smoke into the trainees cockpit, a plurality of controls to be operated by the trainee in accordance with an established fire-fighting procedure, stopping means for said smoke generator, control means responsive to the correct operation of said plurality of controls for actuating said stopping means, and means responsive to said control means for providing high velocity air to clear said simulated smoke from the trainees cockpit.

6. In grounded aircraft trainer apparatus, artificial smoke producing means, separate starting and stopping means therefor, relay means for actuating said stopping means, a plurality of contacts serially related one to another and to said relay means, means for closing said serial contacts in predetermined order, whereby said relay means is operated to stop said smoke producing means upon completion of the circuit through said serial contacts, and means responsive to said relay means for providing high velocity air through said cockpit to clear out said simulated smoke.

7. Grounded aircraft trainer apparatus for fire-fighting training, comprising a starting switch controlled by the instructor, a smoke generator actuated upon closing of the starting switch for introducing simulated smoke into the trainees cockpit, a plurality of controls to be operated by the trainee in accordance with an established firefighting pnocedure, stopping means for said smoke generator, control means responsive to said plurality of controls for actuating said stopping means, and means responsive to proper operation of said plurality of controls to provide high velocity air to clear said smoke from said cockpit.

8. In grounded trainer apparatus having a trainees station within an enclosed cockpit and an air-conditioning system including a fan for establishing normal flow of air at said trainees station, the combination of switch means controllable by an instructor, smoke generator apparatus actuated by said switch means for introducing simulated smoke into said cockpit, control means responsive to correct operation of a plurality of controls by said student to stop operation of said smoke generator apparatus, said switch means and said control means being connected to said fan to affect said normal flow of air during operation of said smoke generator apparatus.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said smoke generator apparatus comprises a heating element and means for applying an atomized spray of paratfin-base liquid to said heating element.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 having dummy control means included in said control means and operable by said student to aifect said flow of air in simulation of an actual aircraft control for admitting ram air to an aircraft cockpit.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 having time-delay switching means connected to be operated by said switch means, said heating element being energized immediately upon operation of said switch means, and said means for applying said atomized spray being operated by said time delay means after a delay period suitable to allow heating of said heating element.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said dummy control means aifects the speed of operation of said fan.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the speed of said fan during simulated ram air conditions is controlled in accordance with factors of simulated aircraft airspeed and simulated aircraft altitude.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,680 Gwinnett Jan. 20, 1931 2,088,264 Heinis July 27, 1937 2,338,762 Groth et al Jan. 11, 1944 2,408,429 Levey Oct. 1, 1946 2,552,979 Kucher May 15, 1951 2,610,437 Smith Sept. 16, 1952 

